It can be warm, soft and smooth, the colour of golden honey. Or strikingly grooved, full of character, dark and strong. Both describe wood, a material that has always played an important role for us humans. It’s not only about the functional properties of this material, though; it’s also about passion. Wood always has a story to tell, visible in its growth and form, in its individual grain, in all its corners and edges. Thomas Sutter is a person who knows how to read these stories – and then makes up his own from them. The pieces created by the designer and furniture maker are unique, noble and of lasting value.
What Thomas Sutter plans and manufactures in his artisan workshop is one thing above all else: different. He presents handmade furniture creations that loudly proclaim the care and love with which they were created. Precision craftsmanship fuses with modern zeitgeist, traditional rusticity with innovative details and intelligent mechanics. Clear lines meet flowing, organic forms; he loves to experiment with combinations of colours and materials. Above all, the pioneering lightness plays with contrasts creating an impressively refreshing design. The perfect result: Thomas Sutter’s furniture line is not only fine and exclusive. It is also creative, unexpected and at the same time fascinatingly harmonious.
Of course, you would say that a world champion in furniture carpentry – Thomas Sutter was proclaimed as such in 2003 – would be expected to take his art to a higher level. And yet: to break through into the field of furniture design requires more than craftsmanship and flair for design. Thomas Sutter has both – and on top of this has proved himself to be a successful entrepreneur. His concept became a successful brand long ago and now includes furniture design, interior design and interior textiles. With a clear commitment to the region: His workshop in Haslen AI is the home of production; the shop and an interior design office are located in the centre of Appenzell. It is very important to Thomas Sutter to maintain exclusivity even now his company has grown so much. Because only by staying true to this can he keep his promise to customers: 'special. valuable.' This describes Thomas Sutter’s corporate identity and guiding vision. This is reflected in every detail of his small but fine furniture collection. The 'Frances' dining table with its modern take on the Biedermeier table with its intelligent extension mechanism is a good example of this as is 'Lea', a free-standing cube on castors with finely crafted drawer elements surrounding the body of the piece.
Maple, apple, pear, cherry, oak, walnut or elm – these are the woods from which the Thomas Sutter artisan workshop treasures are carved; inspiring in their simple elegance whilst at the same time completely functional. Their own wood warehouse, which provides the raw materials for furniture production and interior design, contains many varieties and strains, all hand-selected, all unique, all high-quality and individual in their character. You can select the material for your personal unique piece, subject to availability. What Thomas Sutter and his team then go on to develop from the raw material in storage is still hard to envisage: smooth, silky shimmering surfaces that perfectly accentuate the beauty of the fine grain, inviting you to reach out and touch them. Softly curved or rounded shapes that enhance the wood’s warmth with soft grace. Finely worked transitions with artistically worked accents, such as the 'Hanni & Nanni' side table – the surrounding frame of the tray table looks like an ornately decorated ribbon, providing an effective break from the otherwise clear contemporary style. Old wood provides a sign of the times, is always welcome and can be harmoniously integrated into the respective piece. Its particular features – grooves and annual rings, knotholes and bark – add an exciting, unmistakable charm. The 'Jakob' table range, steeped in history, which is made from the pressed oak wood of old wine presses known as 'Torkel', tell a story. The 'Roger' design table is unconventional in every respect and a real novelty; after a family meal it can be converted into a ping-pong table in just a few easy steps. Once again Thomas Sutter proves his passion for the special and valuable. He proves, if proof were needed, that lateral thinking is worthwhile, that crazy ideas can be put into action and success goes hand in hand with the courage to leave the beaten track. If you are looking for inspiring design furniture and unusual living ideas, you must find your way to Hauptgasse 5 in Appenzell, Switzerland. The stories told by the exclusive masterpieces here alone are worth a visit.
